UI Research What makes good UI?

Nagel, W., & Farmer, R. (2015). Multiscreen ux design : Developing for a multitude of devices. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Things to consider for designing for multiple screens, or designing a single application for multiple interfaces (smartphone and desktop).

• Information must arrive to the user as easily as possible so we will design for two screens smartphones and desktops. There is no need to design for television at this point, as I think a commuting application wouldn’t be used so often in that way.
• People also alternate between multiple screens throughout their day and might use more than one device for getting a task done. So perhaps our user will start by looking at our app on a desktop and then switch over to the mobile version once they have left the house to stay updated on the bus information. You can’t choose to not support one version because this is the world we are living in (Nagel and Farmer, 2015).
• Who are the users? What type of device are they using? (tourists and commuters, probably using cell phones, the odd ipad, and desktop computers).
• What does the day look like for the typical user?
• Consider that each feature doesn’t need to be available on each device (Have a collapsible menu)
• It’s important to consider the cultures, user types, contexts of use, that will be accessing the application.
• Device Shifting – The display is easily shifted from one device to another. It will always be suitable to use!
• Fluidity – The information should be similar across all the different screens so the user has a continuous experience.
• There is an increasing amount of mobile only users!
• “With a flatter design, you must try to make functionality on screen obvious and easily accessible” (p. 147) therefore we have implemented this design method to avoid any false expectations by the user and to have a function-led, minimal, and unobtrusive interface. Flat design means that the functionality will be obvious and easily accessible.
• If necessary some light shading will be used to help encourage users to find submit buttons to suggest some interactivity.
• Out webapp has breakpoints thanks to bootstrap to make the smaller screen more intuitive. The map goes underneath the search bars, but this could be done better because the map is then cut in half and if you can’t see it properly, why is it there?
• The user will expect the learned interaction with the app will continue in the same way on the different sized screens. Therefore the expected patter on desktop should be imitated on mobile. We will achieve this by making the interaction options consistent and logical throughout the app. *the content should be like water, wherever you pour it, it should take the appropriate shape. This is a metaphor from Josh Clark.